He Who Saves a Single Life, Saves the Entire World
by snooky-9093
Summary: Challenge Fiction: The SS have ordered the relocation of all Jewish Prisoners. Hogan's response. "Over my dead body." Please read and review. Chapter 6 notes at the end of story now revised. New information added: March 2010. 2010 Papa Bear Awards Winner
1. Chapter 1

"Standartenführer, I would respectfully like to say, that these men are legitimate prisoners of war and, as such, they are under Luftwaffe protection. Yes, I understand that, but these are American and British soldiers; their governments would surely protest. But, I don't know how to tell…yes,Standartenführer, I understand, by this evening." Klink, his hands shaking, hung up his telephone. He opened the door and asked his aide to have someone fetch Colonel Hogan immediately. Still reeling from the orders given to him over the phone by the SS officer, Klink returned to his desk and poured himself a glass of brandy.

Kinch flew up the ladder connecting the tunnel under their barracks to his bunk. "Where's Colonel Hogan?"

"He's at the mess hall, meeting with some of the barracks chiefs," said Lebeau. "What's the matter?"

Kinch was almost out of breath. "LeBeau, the Jewish prisoners; they're going to relocate the Jewish prisoners. I heard it on the phone tap."

LeBeau tore out of the door to the barracks, and into the mess hall. "Colonel, we need you in the barracks, right now, sir."

Hogan, seeing the agitation present on LeBeau's face, gave the men in the mess a quick glance, and followed the Corporal out of the room and into the compound. Moving at a quick pace, they headed towards the barracks, only to run headlong into Schultz. "Schultz," Hogan stated, "Something needs my attention in here, right now."

"I'm sorry, Colonel Hogan, but the Kommandant needs to see you right away. You see, he is very upset and I think he needs something from you…"

Hogan was adamant. Nimbly stepping around the large Sergeant at Arms, he entered the barracks and closed the door. "Better make this quick."

Quickly and quietly, Kinch told Hogan the news." Sir, I heard something on the phone tap. An SS officer ordered Klink to round up all Jewish prisoners for relocation."

"My God." Hogan was stunned. "I'd better go with Schultz. This is why Klink wants to see me." By then, Schultz, who was being partially detained by several prisoners outside the door, had seen enough. He managed to open the door to the barracks, only to find Hogan exiting the building.

****************************************************************************

"Over my dead body."

"Hogan, you can't be serious. Think of what you're saying."

"No, Kommandant. Think of what you're asking me to do. Turn over some of my men to the SS for relocation? And I hate to think what that means."

Klink's nerves were shot. He had never seen his senior POW officer this angry. "Hogan, please. They will be here by this evening. I have no records. The prisoners never marked their religion on their cards." Klink continued to plead. "Hogan, I haven't actually run this camp totally by the book. It should have been segregated. What if they come and find out when they get here? There must be some Jewish prisoners in the camp. Out of eight-hundred men? You must know."

"I don't make a habit out of asking my men their religion!" Hogan was now yelling. "Like I said, Kommandant - over my dead body!" At that, Hogan headed for the door.

"Hogan, you haven't been dismissed." Hogan looked at the visibly upset Kommandant with disdain and left the office.

****************************************************************************

Hogan's wheels began to turn even before he made it back to the barracks. He motioned for his most trusted men to follow him into his office. Closing the door, he faced the four of them. "They'll be here by this evening. How many Jewish prisoners do we have in camp? Do any of you know?"

They all shook their heads. "Twenty, thirty," suggested LeBeau. "How will they find out, Colonel?" He realized the prisoners had never marked their religion on their records.

"They'll have to go through all the cards and use names as a starting point, and then they'll inspect each barracks and check everyone's dog tags," Hogan responded.

"If we had more time," Newkirk said, "We could make fake dog tags, but we'd 'ave to know which prisoners would need 'em.

"Goldman might have an idea, Colonel."

"No." Hogan responded, "I don't want this spread around just yet. We'll have to work fast. Kinch, get as many of our boys as you can from here to spread out to every barracks, and collect all the dog tags; all of them, you got that? Don't tell them why; just say it's an order. Have them keep the tags organized, but bring them back to the tunnels and store them. Then get back downstairs and stay on that phone tap. Carter, get Olsen in here and have him listen to the coffee pot. Then I want you and LeBeau to get the barracks chiefs in here, a few at a time. They're the only ones that might know who we have in the camp. We don't have time to look through all the tags. Newkirk, get downstairs and start making up false papers and civilian outfits, enough for forty at least. Get someone in the barracks to help you. Oh and wait, before you go, make sure Kinch gets your tags."

"Sir?" Carter had just realized something.

"Carter?"

"Sir, there's something else the SS will be looking for."

Hogan immediately realized what Carter was referring to.

Kinch also realized it, but Newkirk and LeBeau looked confused.

"Circumcisions." Hogan whispered.

"There's going to be a lot more than thirty or forty men caught if they go that way, Colonel," Kinch said.

"Colonel? I don't understand."

"LeBeau, it's common in the states. It's not just a religious ritual." Hogan was now trying to figure out how to get past this problem.

"But would the SS realize it?"

"Doesn't matter," Hogan said. "First, they wouldn't care, and they'd grab any Europeans we have; that's for sure. No one gets taken. Let's get those tags and let me think."

Hogan came up with a plan while he was waiting for the chiefs to start coming in. He had Kinch notify the Underground and ask them to delay the SS convey. "Any time we can buy, Kinch, is better than nothing. But tell them not to risk anyone." Kinch relayed the order.

Within five minutes, collected tags began showing up in the tunnels, and the first barracks chiefs climbed through the bunk entrance.

The four barracks chiefs that hustled over to Barracks two were understandably anxious. Corporal LeBeau had shown up without warning through their tunnel entrances and basically ordered them over, no questions asked. As quickly as he came, he left. All of their instincts told them this was not a drill.

Hogan had no idea how to ask them the question. _No explanations, just throw it out_. "I need to know if you have any men in your barracks who are, who are…Jewish."

The men looked at Hogan. He was serious, deadly serious.

Joe Crowley, a Corporal in charge of Barracks 15 was the first to speak up. "Greenberg, sir. That's it."

Rogers from 12 spoke next. "Pasternak."

The other two were positive they had none.

Hogan ran his hand through his hair. He was beginning to sweat. "Tell Greenberg and Pasternak to get in the tunnels and check in with Newkirk."

Garth came up through the bunk. "Sir, the next group is here."

"Send them up."

This ritual continued until every barracks chief was questioned. After an hour, 37 British, American, and French men were hidden in the tunnels. There was no way at this point to hide what was going on. Men who had never openly discussed their religion came forward and headed down below.

*****************************************************************************

Hogan found himself back in Klink's office. He stood there stiffly, staring at the Kommandant.

"Colonel Hogan, the SS will still be here tonight. Later than I anticipated. The convoy ran into a problem. But they are still coming." Klink could not believe he was asking this question. He already knew the answer. "Did you do as I asked?"

"There are no Jewish prisoners in camp, and I already told you, sir, I don't ask people their religion. It's their business."

Klink got up from his chair and moved in front of the desk. "Hogan, I know what you are trying to do, but if we don't comply with the SS, other things could happen. The other prisoners could pay, Hogan. Do you understand that?"

No response.

"Hogan, I am not an ignorant man. I know the names of some of the men in camp. I know we have men from New York, London. They'll look at names. They'll conduct a strip search." Klink was now standing less than a foot away from Hogan. He noticed something. "Colonel Hogan, where are your tags?"

"In a safe place, sir."

_He took all the tags._

"You are forbidden to remove dog tags. You know that. I'm ordering you to retrieve them immediately. All of them."

"I'm sorry, Kommandant. They're in a safe place, but I sort of forgot where we put them, sir."

****************************************************************************

Newkirk and whomever he could find that could thread a needle were frantically trying to outfit all 37 prisoners hidden in the tunnels. Meanwhile, he was supervising forgers. The men needed civilian outfits, papers and money if they would make it out of Germany alive.


	2. Chapter 2

Klink ordered Hogan to return to the barracks to retrieve the tags or risk a prison wide search. Would the Colonel comply? He doubted it, but Klink was running out of ideas. The SS would be at the camp in a few hours. Once they arrived and found no prisoners ready to go…he shuddered. There would be serious consequences, for all of them. If he had some prisoners to hand over, perhaps they would go away and leave him alone. He would be safe, and the rest of the prisoners would be safe…Klink wondered what could Hogan be thinking? He was buying time with his dog tag scheme, but it would backfire. He knew that. The SS would turn the camp upside down. Once they had an order, it would be followed, and other prisoners would be caught up in the sweep. Would Hogan actually attempt a mass escape? That was a possibility. But how? Impossible, not in a couple of hours. Besides, his escape schemes never succeeded. Klink thought for a moment, and then called for Schultz to set up extra patrols around the perimeter.

****************

"Klink's set up extra patrols, Colonel." Olsen was still monitoring the Kommandant's office. "He's also ordered Schultz to start a prison-wide search for the tags if they're not turned in by 1800 hours."

"Damn." Hogan said. The men and tags were still safely hidden below, but a search would disrupt the camp and their preparations. They'd order all men out for a roll call while each barracks was torn apart.

Kinch interrupted their conversation to report that Little Red Riding Hood was on the radio. Hogan went down below and began speaking with one of their most trusted Underground contacts.

"We'll do what we can to help, Colonel Hogan. I've also spoken with Danzig, and he has agreed to take some of the prisoners."

The most his contacts had smuggled out at once was twenty downed fliers. This was twice as many. He was grateful for their offer and relayed that to the woman. He also expressed his concern at the danger they were facing. If they were caught with Jews, they would either be shot or relocated along with them.

Little Red Riding Hood shrugged off his concern. "Colonel, we will help. When do you expect them to evacuate?"

"No time table. We'll have to notify you. The guards around the perimeter have been doubled."

"You can't send them out when the SS are in the camp, Colonel. That would be suicide."

"I know. The SS will be watching. Hang on, we'll get back to you."

"Good luck, Colonel. Little Red Riding Hood, over and out."

The prisoners hidden in the tunnels came up for roll call at 1800 hours. No tags were showing, so Klink sent the guards in to search all of the barracks to conduct a full-blown search. All prisoners stood quietly and stoically as they watched their barracks being torn apart. No tags were found. The SS finally rolled in around 8 pm. The leader of the unit, a Sturmbannführer Schmidt, met with a nervous Klink in the Kommandant's office. Klink sat his desk, fumbling with pencils, fiddling with papers, doing anything he could to keep from having to admit to his failure at following orders. He finally acknowledged that the prisoners had not been selected, nor had they been segregated.

"Our senior POW refused to turn over the prisoners. He is the first one I went to when I received the order. Logical choice, go to the senior POW officer." Klink let out a nervous laugh.

Schmidt was annoyed but not surprised. "You really didn't expect him to comply, did you?" _More paperwork. _"We'll check their cards. Show me where they are and my men will pull the records." Schmidt looked at Klink patiently.

Now Klink was getting scared. "Sturmbannführer, the cards aren't complete. In our camp, religion was never marked. Just name, rank and serial number, and whom to notify."

Schmidt's annoyance increased. This idiot was impeding his mission, and refusing to follow orders. "Kommandant, I assure you that is highly irregular. I will notify Berlin of your incompetence!"

Klink attempted to cover himself. "Sturmbannführer, the Geneva Convention expressly states that all we can collect is the name, rank and serial number. I was just following regulations."

The SS officer decided not to argue this point. An argument would not get him the prisoners. "Very well, then." We will take the cards and examine the names. Perhaps we will find some of them that way. Oh, and Kommandant? Call a camp wide roll call. The prisoners' dog tags will be looked at."

Klink remained frozen in his chair.

"Is there something here that is not satisfactory, Colonel Klink?"

"I'll call the roll call."

It took no time for the SS to realize the dog tags were missing. Now Schmidt's annoyance was turning into outrage, but he held his temper. "Klink, bring me your senior POW officer and your Chaplain. I'll question them in your office."

A nervous Hogan and the terrified Chaplain were both brought into Klink's office for questioning. John Waverly was a Methodist in his late 20's, and he almost fainted in relief when he saw Hogan and realized he was not alone. His first thought was that he had only been in this office once-the day he had been sent to Stalag 13. Schmidt addressed him first.

"You are the only Chaplain in this camp?"

Hogan immediately stepped in. "All questions go through me."

"You are not in any position to protest, Colonel. I will deal with you and your missing tags later. Answer my questions or I will pull in another prisoner and that man will not be treated politely."

The Chaplain glanced at Hogan, who nodded.

"I'm the only Chaplain in camp."

"Then you would be the logical person to go to, in order to gather religious information on the prisoners." This was a statement, not a question.

Waverly answered, his voice quivering. "I keep no records of religious affiliation."

"You are nervous? You have no need to be. I am only looking for certain prisoners." Schmidt laughed. "Obviously, you are not one of them. There are services held in camp, holidays, the men come to you for help. Some may have confided in you. You know who does not show up for Mass, those who do not receive cards or presents from their families at Christmas."

Waverly repeated. "I keep no records of religious affiliation."

"Never mind." Schmidt had seen this before. At this point the Chaplain was a waste of his time. Now this Colonel. Interesting. The missing dog tags was a new maneuver. He admired the man's ingenuity. "Colonel Hogan. Bravo. Ingenious, thinking that hiding dog tags would somehow forestall my mission. Very creative, I have to admit that. But it won't work, Colonel. We are going to look at the records. We will pull out suspicious names. Not exact, I know, but fruitful. And then, we will perform a search of every man in camp. Humiliating for the men, time-consuming for us, but it usually provides reliable results."

Hogan stood still. He glanced at Klink waiting for something, anything that could stop this.

"Or perhaps…"

Klink interrupted Schmidt. "Captain, perhaps this isn't necessary. Colonel Hogan can find the tags." Klink glanced over at Hogan, pleading with his eyes for cooperation. "No strip search is necessary, I assure you."

Schmidt smiled. "I agree, Kommandant. I'm a reasonable man. I will spend the night. Place Colonel Hogan and this Chaplain in one of your holding cells. Let them think things over. The Colonel can notify one of your guards when he changes his mind, and I'm sure he will. Have the guards check on him every fifteen minutes. He has twelve hours."

Hogan slightly relaxed.

"Twelve hours, Colonel. If you do not agree to get us the dog tags by then, I will have every prisoner in the camp shot."

Klink gasped and Waverly began to crumple. Hogan caught the Chaplain and held him up. Schmidt calmly continued to speak. "Oh, Kommandant, I'll need to see your guest quarters, if you don't mind, and I will have my men patrol the outside perimeter and the compound. We don't want any trouble. Good night, Colonel, Chaplain." He noticed Klink was frozen. He shook his head. "Kommandant, the holding cells?"

"Yes, Sturmbannführer." Klink was still in shock, but he made an effort to follow the orders, all the while thinking he was dealing with a maniac. "Schultz, please have someone escort Sturmbannführer Schmidt to the guest quarters, and will you please take Colonel Hogan and Chaplain Waverly to a holding cell. Put them together, please." It was the least he could do.

"Colonel, Chaplain, please come with me." Schultz read the anxiety on Hogan's face. This was not good. They walked outside. "Colonel," he asked gently. "What cell would you like me to put you in?"

*************

Schmidt had no problem letting the camp population know of his ultimatum. He saw that word was passed to all prisoners and the guards that Hogan had twelve hours to come up with the dogs tags, or suffer the consequences. He also had no qualms about carrying out the consequences. Either way was suitable. He wanted the Jews, but the rest of the prisoners meant nothing to him. He was confident; however, that Hogan would take the reasonable solution. Sacrificing eight hundred, rather than turn over, what, maybe fifty, was illogical. Schmidt also assumed that certain prisoners might not be too pleased with the ultimatum and would take matters in their own hands. That was a common occurrence in Germany and in the occupied countries. Yes, he would have his prisoners ready to relocate in the morning.

*****************

Kinch was listening to Klink attempting to place a call to the Red Cross, when a group of prisoners came through the tunnels towards his radio room. They were led by Goldman from his barracks. He was their spokesman. _Say it. Give it to him straight._

"Sergeant Kinchloe. We've all spoken and taken a vote, and we will go with the SS. We'll turn ourselves in voluntarily."

Kinch was shocked. "All of you?"

Goldman nodded. "Thirty-seven of us, Sarge."

"I have to speak with the Colonel, but I don't think he'll let you do it." Kinch knew the Colonel would not let them do it. No way.

Goldman was nervous, but firm. "We don't want anything else to happen to the rest of the men. Can you get in to see him?"

Kinch was touched. The willingness of these boys to sacrifice themselves to an unknown, but likely horrible fate, considering the SS captain's inhumanity, was unbelievable. He agreed to tell Hogan and Chaplain Waverly. It was time to check on the two of them, anyway.

***************

"No, sir." Hogan had asked the Chaplain to sneak out through the tunnel and be replaced by a volunteer.

"The men will need you. I don't want you in line if he decides to use us as an example."

Waverly's instinct told him that this was now his post. He refused to leave. "Can you order me to do this, sir?"

Hogan ran his hand through his hair. It was a habit he had picked up long ago. He did it when he was stressed. "Yes…but I won't." Hogan caught the tapping coming through the floor. The coast was clear. The guards wouldn't be back for ten minutes. He and Waverly shoved the block over and Kinch climbed through. Hogan was all business. "Report?"

"Colonel, Klink has contacted the Red Cross. Schmidt is in the guest quarters. There are about twenty SS guards patrolling the perimeter, and the rest of his unit is in the compound. The usual amount of our guards is on duty."

Hogan was taking this all in. "That leaves about twenty SS men inside."

"Yes, sir." Kinch continued. "Goldman and some other prisoners came to see me. They offered to give themselves up voluntarily in the morning. All of them."

"No. No arguments. What else?"

"Red called back. Some Underground units have offered to head over here and attack the guards outside so we can get the men out."

Hogan shook his head. "Too dangerous, but we need to start getting as many out as we can. Kinch, see if they can create a diversion, say about a mile outside of camp. That may pull some of the guards away. Keep an eye on the perimeter and if conditions look good, start sending men out. Send them out in groups. Mix the Jewish prisoners in with the rest and get Olsen out with the first group. Bring Red up to date."

"Understood, sir."

"Wait. Anyone not outfitted in civilian clothes has to wear tags. Start handing them back out." Hopefully if they're caught, they'll be treated as escaped prisoners and not shot on sight. Then Hogan gave Kinch the order he had hoped he would never have to give. "Call London and tell them we're shutting down. Full-scale evacuation. We'll need backup." _We're never going to get everyone out in time. _

Kinch did not hesitate. He scrambled out and headed back to the barracks, knowing full-well that Hogan may have just signed their death sentences.


	3. Chapter 3

Klink paced back and forth in his office, racking his brain, trying to think of a solution. Would the Red Cross call back in time? Would they even intervene? _Why won't Hogan cooperate? I'm just trying to protect the other prisoners._ He called Burkhalter and got nowhere; just more orders to obey the SS. Klink felt absolutely helpless. He walked over to his desk and poured himself a glass of sherry and thought back to the previous ten years. Scenes from Kristallnacht flashed through his head. The Nuremberg laws, Mein Kampf, posters, shuttered stores, beaten men in the streets, rumors. Suddenly, the Kommandant began to feel nauseous. He ran into the bathroom and got sick.

Schultz had decided to stay out of the barracks and out of the way. By now he was feeling absolutely numb at the turn of events. He had no desire to see or interfere in whatever Hogan's men were planning. If he didn't see anything, he could not turn them in.

Klink cleaned himself up and called Schultz into his office. "Cancel the evening roll call, Schultz." Klink had no desire to face the prisoners this evening, nor did he suspect would Schultz, or any of the other guards.

"Is there anything else, Kommandant?"

"No," Klink replied sadly. He dismissed the Sergeant and sat down to think. Instinct told him some of the prisoners were attempting to leave. How, he had no idea, but with no roll call, they would have a head start._ Let them._ _Damn his record._ Glancing at his desk, Klink spied some paperwork. Paperwork that showed a prisoner count. It then occurred to the Kommandant that the SS might only look for certain names and neglect to count the number of prisoner cards. As he began to destroy the paperwork he wondered what he would find at morning roll call.

************

Waverly and Hogan sat together in the cell, attempting for the first time to get to know one another. Aside from staff meetings, the Chaplain had little contact with the Commanding Officer. Routine functions in camp ran smoothly, despite the clandestine operations, so Waverly was mainly involved in assisting those who needed help, and boosting morale. He knew that Hogan was used to taking action, and that sitting back and waiting for events to unfold was tearing him apart. The order to evacuate the entire camp had caused the officer to retreat into a shell. He'd ask questions of the Chaplain about his family, his training, his opinions on baseball, but offer very little information about himself, answering questions put to him in monosyllables. Waverly assumed that Hogan was attempting to console the Chaplain, but counseling worked both ways, and he finally decided to take the plunge.

"I would have gone with the 37 men, Colonel."

Hogan turned towards Waverly. "What?"

"I mean, if they had pulled the men out, used the cards, strip searched, whatever, I'd have gone with them."

Hogan had no response to this. He then quietly said, "I would have gone."

"They'd have made you stay, I think. Hurt you even more."

Hogan thought about it. "Some of them are kids. Nineteen, twenty."

Waverly nodded. "I know."

"I'm supposed to protect them."

"You have."

"Not now, can't anymore."

_Let it out._

"I can't get everyone out in time. Can't be done."

"Kinch, Carter, your men, they know what they're doing. They'll get as many out as they can."

Hogan stood up and started pacing. His anger was increasing. "I should be there. In the tunnels. We had drills, plans."

"I know. Your men are there."

Hogan sat back down and looked at the Chaplain. "I've always had great luck, you know."

"Think it got you this far, Colonel? And now, poof, it's gone. Maybe it's more than luck, have you thought about that?" _Training, skill, brains. He doesn't realize it. Or does he? Just won't admit it._

_You can't be trained for something like this, something so evil. _Hogan had been hearing rumors. Some of them had been passed to him from underground members, a few from his handlers in London; those he was closest to. He had kept them quiet from his men. Too much of a burden, he thought. They'd want to investigate. Had Klink heard, he wondered? Did he know? They were unsubstantiated, but there were enough… Hogan sat back down, put his elbows to his knees and sank down. He then looked back up at the Chaplain. "I don't know what else to do. I'm out of ideas. There, I said it, the great planner, the idea man. Out of ideas!"

"No one's a superman, Colonel, you included. You've carried that with you for too long. Let it go."

The two men quieted down as the guards checked the cell. Moments later, Kinch came up through the floor, barely able to speak. He handed Hogan a piece of paper. Anger was evident on his face.

"London's orders."

Hogan read the paper and handed it back to the Sergeant. He was in complete shock. "We've been ordered to keep the operation running. Do everything in our power to not shut it down. Let the prisoners go. They will likely be relocated to east with the other Jews from occupied countries."

"That doesn't sound like them, Colonel."

"Doesn't sound like a lot of them. It's coming from the higher-ups. Kinch, we're not following orders. I'll take the fall." _If we get out of here. "_Get them out, Kinch, as many as you can."

***************

The diversion set by the Underground went off without a hitch a short distance from the camp. As planned, some of the SS guards set off to investigate, leaving a few areas of the perimeter unguarded, allowing groups of prisoners to move out through the emergency tunnel entrance. The prisoners, who were more familiar with the terrain around the camp, were no match for the few remaining SS guards and they were able to set off towards safe houses and hiding places, undetected.

************

Schultz went to Klink's office to inform him that the SS had removed some of the guards from the perimeter. "The SS heard an explosion, Kommandant, and went to investigate. The patrol leader suggested we add extra guards around the perimeter until they return."

"I hardly see why that is necessary, Schultz. We've never had an escape."

"No, Kommandant."

"The SS guards will return. There should be plenty of guards available. You have the usual amount?"

"Yes, Kommandant."

"Then there should be nothing to worry about, should there?"

************

Word came that the SS was regrouping and heading back to camp. Thankfully, no one from the Underground had been hurt or captured. They disbursed to the rendezvous points to look for the escaped prisoners.

"How many got out Carter?" Kinch and Carter were meeting upstairs, while Newkirk and LeBeau concentrated on outfitting as many men as they could down below.

"Fifty-seven." The two men looked at each other. They had to keep going. "We can't send them out in big groups anymore, not with the guards back," Carter said.

"We'll start sending them out two or three at a time, then." Kinch decided. "It's the best we can do."

********

Klink found himself unable to sleep, so he decided to pay Hogan a visit. The Chaplain was dozing on one of the cots, but Hogan was still awake.

"Colonel."

Hogan acknowledged the Kommandant.

"This can all be over if you just give them what they want." Klink's tone wasn't as forceful as before. Hogan noticed he didn't seem to believe what he was saying.

"I already told you, no."

"Do you really want all your men to die, Hogan?"

Hogan's eyes flashed in anger. "I am not responsible for this. You, and your regime, your leaders, your people. You are. Not me, not my men."

Strangely, Klink did not lash out at the POW. "The SS guards were called away for a while. Did you know that? There was an explosion. They left part of the perimeter unguarded for a while. I thought about replacing them with my guards, but…" Klink laughed. "That would be unnecessary. No one would think to escape from Stalag 13."

Hogan was surprised by Klink's statement but did not show it.

"Oh, and Hogan, the SS are going through the prisoners' cards to check names. I don't think they'll bother counting them, though. You know, it's funny, but I can't quite remember the exact number of prisoners in the camp. Neither does Schultz. Think about what I said, Hogan." He looked at his watch. "You have eight hours left."

Hogan waited for Klink to leave and for the next guard check. As soon as it was safe he slipped into the tunnel.

The prisoners who were lined up in the tunnels were astonished to see Hogan coming down the ladder. "I need someone to relay a message upstairs, fast."

"Here, sir."

"Get up to my barracks and tell Sergeant Kinchloe to destroy all records showing a prisoner count. Got that?"

"Yes, sir." The private ran.

***********

Most of the guards normally stationed at Stalag 13 were unconcerned or apathetic about the sudden turn of events. Although terrified of the SS, they figured the situation would all be sorted out by the morning. A few found it amusing that Hogan had hidden all of the dog tags. A few thought it was suicidal, but it never occurred to any of them that Hogan would refuse to turn over the prisoners. After all, this was Germany. The prisoners were only Jews. This was all they knew and they had no reason to believe otherwise.

One guard, an off-duty tower sentry, was concerned; however, and he set off to speak with Schultz. He had been working under Schultz for two years, and found him to be trustworthy and kind.

Schultz was too upset to be asleep. He answered the knock on his door and found of his privates standing outside.

"Sergeant, I need to speak with you. It's important."

"Come in." Schultz looked at him patiently and waited for what he had to say.

"I've heard about the relocation camps."

"Go on."

"Sergeant, I used to live in Berlin. Something is not right. People have disappeared. They say they've been relocated, but we don't know what that means. There's been rumors."

Schultz nodded. He had heard of rumors, but did not believe them. How could they be true?

"Sergeant, I have relatives in Munich. There's a town near there called Dachau. Something terrible is happening there, they are sure of it. People have seen trains, smoke. Sergeant…the prisoners, if they take them, I think they will be killed." Suddenly, the private got frightened. "Please, don't tell anyone I told you!"

Schultz touched the boy's shoulder. He gently told him to go back to his post and headed for Klink's office.

At the same time Schultz was speaking to the private, Klink was speaking with a Red Cross representative. The information he received was not good. The relocations were being held at other prison camps and the Red Cross was being overwhelmed. Their advice; try to bargain with the SS and hand over Jewish prisoners from the occupied countries. Otherwise, there was nothing they could do. Klink was attempting to digest this last bit of information when Schultz knocked at the door.

"Kommandant, I need to speak to you." The distress on the Sergeant's face was obvious.

Klink motioned for Schultz to come into his office and shut the door. He listened and then made a decision.

"Go release Hogan and Chaplain Waverly. Tell the guards Hogan has agreed to retrieve the tags and then bring him here."

**********

A tired Hogan found himself again standing in front of Klink in the Kommandant's office. To his surprise, Schultz had released him and Waverly several minutes earlier, giving him the order to say nothing. Klink had never looked so terrible in the two years Hogan had known him.

"Kommandant, I'm not turning in the tags."

Klink waved the comment off. "I know, I just told the SS that to get you out of the cell. I have some information I want, no, I need to share with you, Hogan. I've heard from the Red Cross. This is happening at other camps."

Hogan gulped. "And what did they say, are they doing anything?"

Klink shook his head. "The best solution, they said, is to offer to turn over Jewish prisoners from occupied countries, but even that is not a guarantee."

Hogan, visibly shaken, sunk down in the chair by Klink's desk. The other camps were caught off-guard with no means of escape, no connections.

"Hogan?" Klink whispered, trying to regain the Colonel's attention.

"No one, they're getting no one."

Klink was afraid that he would have 800 dead prisoners on his hands in the morning. Either that or the SS would start shooting until the Jewish prisoners gave themselves up. But, he was sure at this point that some men were leaving. He just knew. "There's something else. I don't know what 'relocation' means, but I've heard rumors…" He then looked at Hogan as if expecting him to come up with a plan.

Hogan now began to understand how far he had strung Klink along. The man was not a tactician, but just a bureaucrat caught in a trap._ But I knew that. The man is no Nazi. H_e's _trying to help here, but doesn't know how. He's waiting for me to come up with something. _Hogan looked at his watch. It was now 2 a.m. He didn't know what to say to Klink. Choking back tears, he requested an escort back to the barracks.

"Try to get some sleep. I will send someone for you in 3 hours." Klink knew Hogan would not leave before any of his men, if they were trying to get out. He was sure of it.

"You, too, Kommandant."

But Klink couldn't sleep; he was absolutely frantic. He was sure there would be a confrontation in the morning. Oddly, he had stopped worrying about himself, and was thinking only about the rumors.

Upon his release, Captain Waverly headed immediately over to Barracks two. Hogan's men were doing their jobs, as expected. No words were spoken about the crisis; the evacuation was going slowly, but in an organized fashion. The men in the tunnels were calm, but were still only able to leave in dribs and drabs.

Hogan returned to the Barracks. Most of the residents of Barracks two were down in the tunnels managing the evacuation, but Hogan's main group was up top. He brought them up to date and then they all gathered around the table and began to discuss options.

"I'll take any suggestions, anything." Hogan was still racking his brain, but was open to any ideas.

"How about grabbing Schmidt and holding him hostage?" Carter asked.

Hogan turned down that idea. "As soon as the crisis ends, they'll come back or send reinforcements. Same thing with a camp takeover." No matter what idea was tossed out, the realization was that the SS would just return and men would get killed.

Newkirk had been thinking. "We need to get these guys out quicker; that's the big problem, isn't it? Logistics…" His eyes suddenly lit up. "Say, 'ow about a mass breakout?"

"Impossible!" LeBeau countered. "How?"

"How many have left camp?" Hogan asked.

"About a hundred," Kinch replied. "We're sending them out now in twos and threes when it's clear."

"Not fast enough." Hogan began to think. "We need to find another way to get out. Through the gates."

"We only have, what?" Kinch looked at his watch. "Six hours."


	4. Chapter 4

_We'll go down fighting. It's the only option. The hell with London. These men are ready. We've committed ourselves. _Hogan was trying to take in the enormity of what he had done, what they all were doing.800 men sacrificing themselves for what, 40? The Germans foolishly expected them not to care. They were wrong. London was wrong.

The four men sat around the table waiting for Hogan to make a decision. "All right, we have about 40 SS guards; half outside, the rest in the compound. How many of the regular guards are on duty?"

"The usual contingent." Newkirk had done a quick survey earlier.

Hogan nodded. "Okay." _God help me for what I'm about to order._ "We're going to commandeer all the trucks, the ones from the motor pool and the SS convoy." The men did not react; they just waited for him to continue. "Klink's going to help us with the trucks. Have two men sneak into Klink's quarters, chloroform him and get him in here. Have them take a gun. Grab every other weapon we've got; start handing them out." Now that Hogan had a plan, he started issuing orders. The men scrambled. It felt better to do something, rather than roll over and be sitting ducks. "We're going to take out the guards outside. Newkirk, you'll get teams of volunteers together. Have them wait for a signal and then go. Remember, Newkirk, it's them or us. Tell the teams to head to the first rendezvous point when it's clear."

"Right, sir." Newkirk headed towards the bunk entrance.

"We'll need to take care of the guards inside camp. Kinch, get men who can work quietly to remove the SS guards one-by-one. We'll have to neutralize them and hide them somewhere. Do what you can with the regular guards. You'll be in charge."

Kinch nodded and took off.

"Carter, have Baker notify Red that we're planning a mass breakout. They've got to be prepared for all of us showing up at the rendezvous points. And have them set up diversions close by; something that will muffle noise. Then get the tunnels wired. LeBeau, start burning papers. As soon as we get the go-ahead from outside, we'll start sending as many out through the tunnels as we can. The rest will go with the trucks. Once we're out, we'll worry about the next step. I'll take care of Schmidt." Hogan went to his footlocker and grabbed a gun, while LeBeau and Carter left.

_This has to be perfectly coordinated. One radio call and we're dead._

Hogan headed down into the tunnels, planning to come up inside the entrance to the guest quarters. _It's a good thing we dug into there. _He quickly acknowledged the men in the tunnels; men who were now preparing for combat. He shrugged off his apprehension and stealthily moved up the ladder connecting the tunnel to the stove in the living area. Hopefully, the SS officer was asleep in the bedroom. Quietly, he slid the stove over and moved up into the room, breathing a sigh of relief upon noticing the room was empty. He grabbed a cushion from the sofa and headed towards the bedroom._ It's us or them, Rob… God, I hate this, _he thought as he slowly cracked open the door. No one heard the muffled shot. Hogan, his stomach in knots, returned to the tunnels and gave the signal. He then returned to the barracks to face Klink and begin phase two.

***********

Upon hearing Hogan's signal, teams of prisoners slipped out through the tunnels and fences, and lay in wait for the noise diversions set by the Underground. They then set off in teams to take out the SS troops surrounding the camp. Other teams, led by Kinch, began to pick off the guards in the compound. There were still approximately six hundred prisoners left in the camp, all of whom had received word of the plans.

Hogan shoved any hesitation he had about his decision aside. He now knew London would be of no help. No planes or reinforcements would be sent. His men would now be either on their own, or would have to rely on the Underground until they could reach Allied lines. He did believe; however, that if they made it that far, the Allies would not turn their backs on escaped prisoners who were following his orders.

*************

Klink had offered no resistance to the two prisoners who had shown up unannounced in his bedroom. He was quickly overpowered and brought through the tunnels and up into the Barracks. He woke up, groggy and with a headache. Hogan was standing in front of him, coolly holding a pistol.

"Hogan, what is the meaning of this?" Klink asked hoarsely, trying to keep a modicum of his dignity. Kinch then walked through the door with Schultz by his side.

"Kommandant? Colonel Hogan, what is going on?" Schultz's eyes had opened wide at the sight of Hogan nonchalantly aiming a pistol at the officer. Klink looked more confused than frightened.

"No one in this camp is being relocated, Schultz. We're all leaving."

"But, but," Schultz began to stammer. "All of you? Where will you go? The guards…" Schultz pulled himself straight. "I cannot allow this. You will all be killed."

"Schultz," Klink tried to calm the guard down. "He's got a gun, Schultz."

Hogan began to talk fast. We're taking out the SS guards. You two are going to help get us out. Kommandant…you, Schultz and I will be going to your office, where you'll order all of the trucks from the motor pool to pull up outside these barracks. We'll need the SS trucks as well. Schultz, you'll tell your guards to let the trucks through. The Kommandant will tell them I've given up. He's coming with to assist in the relocation."Hogan gestured to LeBeau and Kinch, who were standing by. "My men will make sure the orders are given and followed."

Hogan looked over at Kinch. "Do we have the SS uniforms?"

"Yes, sir. I've handed them out, plus the others…" Kinch was careful not to mention the tunnels.

"Good," Hogan said. "Get some men in those trucks. They'll be driving and acting as the guards. As soon as you see the trucks roll up, start loading. LeBeau, please escort Schultz and the Kommandant back to his office."

"Oui, Colonel." Klink saw that the French prisoner was also armed. "Kommandant, this way, please."

As soon as they left, Hogan conferred with his second in command.

"The guards in the compound are tied up in storage sheds and the rec hall." Kinch informed him.

"Anyone hurt?"

Kinch shook his head. "No, but I have reports of casualties on the outside."

"Damn." Hogan paused for a brief moment.

"The area around the emergency tunnel is clear, so we're sending more men out that way. We've got contingents heading out through the fence, and I think the underground is helping contain the guards, sir."

Hogan was sure the guards would eventually be outnumbered. He wondered how many men he had lost.

Klink suspected that Hogan had killed the SS officer. Still numb and now terrified, he realized he had no choice but to cooperate with the American. He wondered at this point, if he actually cared. Secretly, he was glad Hogan had come up with a plan, a plan he felt looked doomed to fail. There was no possible way they could get away with this. And where would all of the men go? LeBeau silently kept his eye on the two Germans until Hogan showed up at the office. Now, prisoners donned in SS uniforms had begun to move the trucks into position.

Hogan stood by Klink's desk and handed the Kommandant the phone. "Kommandant, make the call."

Klink shakingly took the phone and ordered the trucks, repeating the message Hogan had ordered him to say. "Let the trucks through, we had more prisoners than expected." He looked at Hogan, who nodded. "I'll be leaving with the SS to assist in the relocation and to make sure it is handled humanely." He hung up the phone. "It's done," he said. "The gates will be open."

Every vehicle within reason had now been commandeered and was lined up outside Hogan's barracks. Most of the regular guards had been overpowered, tied up and locked in their barracks. The few remaining had no inkling that anything was wrong. Prisoners headed down through the tunnel system, up into the barracks and then packed themselves tightly into the trucks. As each truck was filled, it rolled out the front gate, driven by prisoners dressed in German uniforms. More prisoners were sneaking out through the outside entrances and underneath the fences.

Klink, who was being closely watched by armed prisoners, was riding in the front of the last truck. Schultz had been grabbed by Baker and forced into the back. There was no protest from the guards as they left the compound.

Hogan and his four men set the explosives for a half-hour, hoping it would give everyone enough time to get clear of the area. They then left through the tunnel and met up with an Underground unit at a rendezvous point.

"We need to keep everyone moving," the leader stated. "The guards will realize what's happened and raise the alarm."

"I'm hoping the tunnels will go up before they see that we're missing," Hogan replied. "That'll keep them occupied." _And hopefully not kill any of them_. He could care less about the SS guards, but the regular guards at the Stalag had never done them any harm. "Listen, we lost some men back at the camp. They were fighting the SS guards…"

"We'll see if we can retrieve the bodies, Colonel. We'll do the best we can."

"I appreciate that, thanks."

The truck holding Baker, Schultz and Klink rolled up to the hide-out. The prisoners up front shifted into the back, while two civilians took their place up front. This changeover was taking place all over the area as the trucks that had left the Stalag headed off in different directions. Klink and Schultz were ordered off and stood facing the former Senior POW officer.

Klink looked at the civilians._ So this is an underground unit. _Better to go with what you know, he decided. "Colonel Hogan, I won't turn you in. I can help you get across Germany. Take me with you."

Hogan shook his head. "Sorry, Kommandant. Unfortunately, you and Schultz are now a liability. You'll be going with these men here. They'll try and get you two to Allied lines. I suggest you turn yourself in. It's probably safer than staying here at this point." He motioned for the truck to leave and watched it disappear down the road. "Kommandant. I know you didn't want this. I appreciate what you did…giving me that information and not replacing the guards."

"Colonel," the Underground leader warned. "You need to get going. We'll be notifying all the safe houses and units to watch out for all of you. Once you get to France, you'll be turned over to their Underground. You have the recognition codes?"

"All the prisoners have them." Hogan responded.

"Good luck, Colonel."

"Right, let's move out." Hogan and his men headed out into the countryside and their next rendezvous point.

The escaped prisoners were now hidden all over the countryside. As many as possible were being fitted with civilian clothes and papers, but they were still in grave danger. Those who could speak German paired up with those who did not. The men found themselves being passed from location to location in small groups as quickly as possible; using the recognition codes they had been given before leaving camp.

Hogan, Newkirk, Carter and LeBeau were forced to leave Kinch and Baker with the last truck and then set off on their own. They were all fluent enough to pass as natives and did not want to jeopardize any other civilians. They finally made it to a safe house in Düsseldorf where, for the first time in days, they were able to rest.

It was at the safe house that Hogan was finally able to speak to London personally.

"Papa Bear calling Goldilocks, come in Goldilocks, over."

"This is Goldilocks, come in Papa Bear, over."

"Papa Bear and all cubs have left the forest, over."

"Confirm Papa Bear, how many cubs?"

"All cubs have left the forest, over. Requesting assistance, over, cubs following crumbs, over."

Silence.

"Cubs are on their own, Papa Bear. Instructions not followed, over_." _

_Oh for god's sake. _Hogan looked at his contact. "How secure is this radio?"

"As secure as any other," he replied. "Go ahead."

"This is Colonel Hogan, who is this?"

The stunned operator looked up at the acting Commander on duty in the radio room. The Commander grabbed the microphone.

"Colonel, this is Colonel Wembley. You're risking detection, are you nuts?"

"Wembley, I've got close to 800 men trying to get out of Germany. Get me some help!"

"Colonel, I sympathize with you, but your orders were…"

"I don't give a damn about the orders; get them some help! I'll take responsibility. I'll turn myself in. Court martial me if you have to, just get them out!"

Newkirk, Carter and LeBeau could not believe what they were hearing. "Colonel, no." LeBeau whispered.

"Wembley, you there?"

"Hold on, Colonel Hogan. I have to discuss this. Can you be at this frequency at 0900?" A ½ hour.

"Roger, over." Hogan turned off the radio and sunk into a chair. His men all started talking at once.

"Don't," he said. "I don't want to hear it."

One half hour later, Hogan was back on the radio. Wembley relayed the message that the Allied command had agreed to Hogan's offer. Drops, planes, forged papers, couriers and boats, whatever could be provided, would be used to assist the escaped prisoners and bring them to safety. In return, Hogan would turn himself in to face charges as soon he and his men were behind Allied lines.


	5. Chapter 5

Bit by bit, and with help from the Allies and the Underground, most of the escaped prisoners found their way to Allied lines in France, or to the coast. It took some of them weeks, for others it took months, but in the end, the majority of Stalag 13's men made it out alive. Seven men were left behind, killed in the battle outside of the Stalag, and almost 70 remained missing in action and were unaccounted for.

Hogan, LeBeau, Carter and Newkirk were eventually picked up by a plane and flown into England. The trip over the channel was quiet. The four of them knew what lay ahead and frankly, they were all scared.

The plane landed in typical British weather. Cold and rainy. Newkirk would have laughed if he wasn't so stressed. The four men stepped onto Allied soil and were greeted by MPs.

"Colonel Hogan?" He stepped forward. "I'm sorry sir, but you're under arrest. Please come with us." The MP stepped forward. He motioned to a jeep. "The rest of you will be debriefed."

Hogan got into the jeep._ No handcuffs? Thank goodness for small favors_. "Go ahead, I'll be seeing you." He tried to comfort his men. It wasn't working. They were in shock.

"You three, come with me please." Another MP corralled them into a truck. They were too numb to speak.

*************

_How am I going to explain this to Mom and Dad? _Was Hogan's first thought as he was politely led into a small conference area in one of the buildings. _They must still think I'm at the camp_. He did not recognize the three men seated at one end of the table in the room; one general, one JAG officer and one in a suit. A stenographer was by the window. Another JAG officer was standing by the door. He immediately approached Hogan and introduced himself. "Sir, I'm Captain Villeman. I've been assigned as your representative." Hogan gave a slight acknowledgement. "Sit down, Colonel."

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but we haven't been introduced." _Where's Wembley? _

The suit spoke. "General Wallace, Captain Chambers. I'm with Military Intelligence."

The General turned to the stenographer. "This is on the record." She nodded. "Colonel Hogan, this will be brief and to the point. Right now, we want to go over what occurred at Stalag 13 last August and what prompted you to directly disobey orders and shut down the operation."

Brief and to the point. "The SS came into the camp and demanded the turnover of all Jewish prisoners. I refused. The SS officer threatened to kill all of the prisoners in camp if we did not comply. I had no doubt that he would carry out this threat. I ordered a full evacuation. We notified London of the situation, sir."

"And London ordered you to continue with the operation, Colonel?"

"They ordered me to turn over the prisoners and to keep the operation running."

"You refused."

Hogan did not answer. Captain Villeman whispered something in Hogan's ear. Hogan shook his head in response.

"Colonel, you refused?"

"Yes."

"As I understand it, you then contacted London again, several days later, and requested assistance in exchange for your surrender to authorities when and if you made it back."

"Yes."

Chambers asked the next question. "Colonel Hogan, your staff? They assisted in the planning and execution of this evacuation?" He looked down at the paperwork on the table. "I see at least three of them are now on this base and several are still missing."

Hogan's heart leapt into his throat.

Villeman stepped in. "Colonel Hogan was in command, Captain. The role of his staff is immaterial to this investigation."

"We haven't come to a conclusion yet regarding charges related to Colonel Hogan's staff," Chamber said. "However, their conduct may fall under Article 59."

"But," the general added. "We may be able to work something out."

"Go ahead." _Christ, they're gonna hang me out to dry. _"I'm listening."

"Colonel, a lengthy court-martial would not be in the best interest of the Allies right now. We still need to conduct a complete investigation. You still need to be completely debriefed, but if you plead guilty to certain charges, we will be willing to overlook any complicity by your staff."

Villeman again stepped in. "Guilty to what charges, General?"

"Desertion, advising or aiding others to desert, and willfully disobeying a superior officer: Articles, 58, 59 and 64. (1)

Hogan paled. Desertion during wartime was a capital offense. Villeman stopped him from responding. "I'd like to confer with Colonel Hogan before he comes to a decision."

"Fifteen minutes, Captain. There's a room across the hall. You two can speak in there." The General called in an MP. "Escort the Colonel and the Captain across the hall."

************

"You are under no obligation to plead guilty, Colonel."

"I gave them my word back in Germany; besides, they said they'll bring the others up on charges. Kinch doesn't even know. I don't even know where he is."

"Kinch?"

"My second. He couldn't come with us. He wouldn't blend in."

"I see." Villeman understood. "Colonel, you told them you would turn yourself in, that's all."

_How did this happen?_ Hogan thought. "I can't believe they're doing this. Two and a half years, following orders, putting our life on the line, all of us. You know how many times we were almost caught?"

"No."

Hogan knew he was trapped. "What happens if I plead guilty?"

"They'll leave your men alone. They don't really want to go to trial, but they'll have a hearing to determine your sentencing. We can work on that, get witnesses, statements. Look, here's what I think they have. From what I understand, your instructions were to evacuate in case of exposure, not to save a few prisoners. You could have kept the operation secret and it could have continued. Colonel, as soon as the tunnels were blown, and the mass escape took place, it was over; the operation was exposed. There's one more thing I'm concerned about."

"Go ahead." Hogan realized this was going from bad to worse.

"The chances are, more prisoners will be lost now than would have been originally, Colonel."

"I know," Hogan said softly. "How long will this take?"

Villeman shook his head. "Could take a while. Both sides will need time to prepare, and with us pushing through Europe, I can't say for sure." He didn't like what he was about to say. "Colonel, these charges are very serious. They'll keep you in custody, I'm sure of it. And the sentencing…"

Hogan knew. He had taken the required courses at West Point. But he made his decision. "I'll plead guilty, but I want some more concessions."

***************

"My client will plead guilty in exchange for complete immunity for all prisoners, including his senior staff, plus an honorable discharge for all prisoners. He wants a guarantee that all escaped prisoners, including his senior staff, will not be sent back into action. And a guarantee that the court will not seek the death penalty."

"One moment, Captain." General Wallace conferred with the others. "We agree to Colonel Hogan's conditions." He called over the MPs. "Colonel, we are keeping you in custody. The MPs will escort you to your cell. Your arraignment will be tomorrow at 0900."

Hogan looked at Villeman.

"I'll start making calls, sir."

This time Hogan was led away in handcuffs.

****************

Newkirk, LeBeau and Carter were sitting together in the mess hall, trying to gather strength after a lengthy morning of answering questions. Unaware of Colonel Hogan's agreement, they were somewhat apprehensive about their fate, although the fact that they hadn't yet been arrested gave them some reason for optimism.

"This stinks," Carter said. "It's not fair."

Newkirk was seething inside, but was trying not to show his anger.

Louis was anxious to get back to France to search for his family. Last he had heard, they were all still alive, but it had been a while and he was nervous. But, he would not desert his friends or the Colonel.

"I managed to get out a telegram," Carter said. "At least my parents know I'm out."

"That's great, mate." Newkirk had already been in contact with his sister, but would only tell her he was in the middle of a debriefing and would get to London as soon as he could.

"I wonder what the Colonel will tell his family," LeBeau asked. They all wondered the same thing.

A JAG officer approached the table.

"Gentlemen. I'm Captain Villeman. I'm representing Colonel Hogan. Can we talk?"

***********  
_Dear Mom and Dad, I have some good news and some bad news. Geez. Crumple this one up._ Hogan looked up from the letter he was writing as his door opened. The MP announced he had visitors, and politely asked him to follow him to another room. The politeness of the guards was beginning to drive him crazy. He enjoyed being flippant, but they didn't give him the pleasure.

Carter, Newkirk and LeBeau were waiting for him in the room. Everyone tried to hold their emotions in check as they all took stock of each other.

"You guys ok?"

"Fine, guv'nor. You?"

Hogan nodded. "Hanging in there."

"We heard, sir. Captain Villeman filled us in. It's not fair." Carter was now on the verge of losing it. He tried to pull himself together. "I'm staying here, Colonel. I told Captain Villeman I'd help. Track down people, you know."

"Thanks, Carter. I appreciate that." Hogan knew arguing with the Sergeant would be pointless.

"Sir, I'll be headin' off to London. They need someone there, what knows the names of the men who escaped from Stalag 13; someone who can keep track of who's been found, rescued…that sort of thing. But I'll be back soon." Newkirk looked down and stared at his cap. "And I'll let you know who's checked in, right away, gov'nor."

"Newkirk, can you try and get me the names of the men killed outside of camp?" Hogan wanted to get letters out to the families as soon as possible.

"Yes, sir."

Hogan looked at LeBeau. "Louis, you need to go back to Paris now. I'm fine."

"Oui. I mean, yes. I'll check in with the French underground while I'm there. See what information I can find on the men."

"Thanks."

The three men said their goodbyes and left Hogan sitting alone in the room. For the first time since this whole mess started, he cried.

***********

_(1) Articles of War_

**ART. 58. DESERTION.**--Any person subject to military law who deserts or attempts to desert the service of the United States shall, if the offense be committed in time of war, suffer death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct, and, if the offense be committed at any other time, any punishment, excepting death, that a court-martial may direct.

**ART. 59. ADVISING OR AIDING ANOTHER TO DESERT.**--Any person subject to military law who advises or persuades or knowingly assists another to desert the service of the United States shall, if the offense be committed in time of war, suffer death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct, and, if the offense be committed at any other time, any punishment, excepting death, that a court-martial may direct.

**ART. 64. ASSAULTING OR WILLFULLY DISOBEYING SUPERIOR OFFICER.**--Any person subject to military law who, on any pretense whatsoever, strikes his superior officer or draws or lifts up any weapon or offers any violence against him, being in the execution of his office, or _willfully disobeys any lawful command of his superior officer, (author's italics) _shall suffer death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.


	6. Chapter 6

Weeks had now passed since Hogan's men separated. The Allies were pushing further into the continent, liberating cities, towns and villages in their path. Words of atrocities against civilians in occupied countries began to spread and the German army was preparing for a last gasp in the Belgian forests.

Klink and Schultz had found themselves passed through several underground groups until being turned over to an American unit in France. Wisely, the two of them kept quiet and became resigned to their fate. It was at Klink's intensive interrogation back in England that he finally came to the conclusion that he had been had. His interrogators seemed to know a lot about his camp, its operation and Colonel Hogan. It was at one of these sessions that he asked his interrogator about tunnels.

"We don't know anything about tunnels, Colonel."

_There had to be tunnels and radios, and outside contact, _Klink thought, then shook his head. _No,_ _Impossible! But, there had to be!_ "Can you tell me about my prisoners?" He asked, "How many got out of Germany?" The interrogators had questioned him about the incident with the SS, but had divulged no information.

"I'm sorry, Colonel, but that information is classified."

"But what about Colonel Hogan? Did he make it back?"

The interrogator paused. "Yes, he made it back."

It was several days later that Klink was brought back into a room to meet with an officer. "Colonel Klink, I'm Captain Villeman from the Judge Advocate General's office."

"I don't understand."

"Our legal division. I'm here to speak with you about Colonel Hogan, Sir."

****************

Various men had come to visit the Colonel during this period to offer their support. Hogan's friend, Group Captain Roberts, along with Colonel Wembley had stopped by, and General Barton had sent a letter of encouragement. Newkirk kept Carter and Hogan updated on the whereabouts of the missing POW's, while LeBeau stayed in touch as best as he could. Hogan tried not to get depressed at his situation. He was contemplating how he had more room and freedom in the POW camp, when his door opened and Carter walked in. "Sir, I have good news."

"I can use it!"

"The men on the last truck have reported in."

_Kinch! Who else was on that truck? Baker, Wilson, the Chaplain, the rest of our barracks._ "What happened, where are they?"

"Well, sir, Newkirk sent me the information. They got trapped by fighting, but somehow got picked up by a platoon, got handed over to a battalion and well, they're in Calais. They're heading back."

_Thank God._ "Anything else?"

"Yes. Captain Villeman tracked down Klink and Schultz. They're in a POW camp. And we've compiled a list of people who are either willing to testify at your sentencing hearing or send depositions. I'd thought you'd like to see it." He handed the list over to Hogan.

He began to read it over. Wembley, several Generals, Crittendon? Underground agents. Tiger. Prisoners from other camps that he and his men had gotten out of Germany, flyers they had rescued. "Klink?"

"Yes, sir. He apparently somehow got wind of what had happened and offered to testify."

***********

Hogan and his men were forced to wait as the war dragged on. Kinch had finally made it to England and had joined up with Carter and Newkirk, staying to help with Hogan's defense. More POW's were making it through and were, as per agreement, debriefed and discharged. Several visited with Hogan before heading back home.

"Chaplain." Hogan stood up and shook Waverly's hand.

"It's good to see you, sir."

"It's good to see you. Heard you had a bit of a rough time."

Waverly smiled. "We got through it. How are you holding up, Sir?"

"I think I may have preferred the Stalag."

"You're joking, Sir. Oh, Carter wanted me to tell you we've finally heard from Olsen."

Olsen had gone out with the first group of escapees. Hogan was elated. "Where the hell is he?"

"Don't know how, but somehow he managed to get himself and close to a hundred of the guys over the Swiss border."

Hogan sat down. "The man is an enigma."

"Yes, Sir. Sir, if I may speak freely."

"Go ahead."

"You did the right thing."

Hogan looked at the young Chaplain. How many men had followed him blindly? He still didn't know how many would return. He had that on his conscience. "Some aren't coming back."

"Those 37 prisoners, Colonel? They wouldn't have come back. That's a certainty. I'm sure of it."

"I had to give them a fighting chance," Hogan said. "We couldn't just roll over and…" He couldn't continue.

_"He who saves_ one _life_, _saves_ the world entire."

"What.?"

"It's from the Talmud, Colonel. You may want to remember the quote."

*********

Unfortunately for the Colonel, a few bureaucrats and several resentful prisoners had no interest in hearing about why the Colonel had risked the entire camp to save a few lives. The bureaucrats in Allied command were more concerned about the loss of Hogan's operation and his ignoring the chain of command, while several prisoners, once they had reached safety, became upset with the special treatment shown the few Jewish prisoners. These men were tapped to testify against Hogan during the sentencing hearing.

Captain Villeman had been called to London to meet with members of Hogan's original control group. Pleasantries were exchanged and then the men got down to business.

"How is Hogan holding up, Captain?" General Frampton had been instrumental in handling the clandestine activities and had come to admire the officer during their infrequent meetings in London during his time at Stalag 13.

"He's slightly depressed. Impatient. Angry. He's used to action. Sitting around is frustrating. But, he has a lot of support. Constant visitors, letters, help with the case. That's something."

"I hear you have quite a lot of people willing to testify on his behalf, Captain." Colonel Wembley was also at the meeting.

"Including you Sir, yes. It's important we get the judge to show clemency. The ramifications if they don't…"

"Captain," the General interrupted. "We've brought you in to show you some information. I think this might have an impact on the case, Captain." He pushed several files over to the advocate. "This information was recently acquired from the Soviets. It shows what they found in Poland, at a place called Auschwitz."

Villeman returned to the base with a new sense of purpose. He was hopeful the new information he had been given would serve to lighten Hogan's sentence. His main problem right now was showing the information to the Colonel. He could barely handle it. He had no idea how Hogan would react.

Hogan reacted as expected. He sat there in utter shock staring at the classified files. Finally he managed to speak. "They think there's more?"

"I'm afraid so. Mass graves. Sightings of other camps. Eyewitness accounts. It's bad."

"This is what they meant by relocation," Hogan whispered.

"Yes, Sir."

"Have you shown this to Carter, Kinch?"

"No, not yet. But I will. I have to. They need to know."

Hogan nodded.

**************

"It's a waste of an officer and a pilot, that's what it is." Newkirk had taken a trip down to the base to receive an update from Carter and Kinch.

"Captain Roberts thinks the ones doing this to the Colonel should be court-martialed for keeping him out of the air. He could have been teaching or flying…" Carter got lost in his thought.

"Remember that scientist we smuggled out?" Kinch asked. "I heard Louis found him in France and got a statement."

"That's great. We've got a stack of statements a mile high, but what's it mean? The Guv'nor pled guilty."

"Maybe they'll reduce his sentence to time served."

"Carter, the way this is going, by the time we get to the sentencing hearing, the war will be over and we'll be old men." Kinch looked up. "Here comes Villeman."

Captain Villeman approached the three men. This was not going to be easy. "I have some information to show you. Can we meet in my office?"

"Sure, Captain." The men walked over to the advocate's office and then looked at the same files he had shown the Colonel.

Newkirk's hands began to shake, while Carter turned completely white. Kinch spoke first. "Did you show this to the Colonel?"

"Yes," Villeman replied. "I'm hoping with this evidence we can get the sentence down to time served."

"It still leaves a dishonorable discharge, stripped of rank…It's a disgrace," Kinch pointed out.

"I know. But at this point, it's the best we can do. I'm trying to get this hearing expedited. I'll keep you posted." Villeman showed the men out. _The best we can do. He shouldn't have been charged in the first place._

The prosecutors agreed to finally hold the sentencing hearing at the end of April, one month away. Hogan had now been incarcerated for over six months.

*********

Several weeks before the hearing, Captain Villeman and Carter, now reeling from FDR's sudden death, sped towards London to attend an urgent meeting called by General Barton. It was April 14th.

Barton escorted the two men into a room. It was his habit to come right to the point, and today was no exception. "Captain, Sergeant. Two days ago, General Eisenhower, General Bradley and General Patton visited a forced labor camp in Ohrduf. We also now have films taken by liberators of camps in Buchenwald, Bergen-Belsen and Dachau."

Word had already been spreading around the base about what was being found. But Carter wasn't sure why they had been called to London to hear about it. "Sir, what does this have to do with Colonel Hogan?"

Barton addressed Villeman. "Captain, in light of these new facts, I want you to prepare a letter requesting amnesty for Colonel Hogan. I'll see that it gets to General Eisenhower. If you send it directly to President Truman, at this point, he may never get to it. If Eisenhower sees it, he may intervene. At least that's what I hope."

"I'll get to it immediately, General, and thank you." Villeman turned to Carter. "We don't have time to discuss this with Colonel Hogan. Let's get to work."

Carter had been boning up on military law since he offered to help with the case. "But Captain, shouldn't we discuss it with him first? He may not agree. This won't absolve him of guilt, will it?"

"There's a difference between a pardon and amnesty, Carter." Villeman tried to think of the best way to distinguish between the two. "A pardon is an act of forgiveness. It won't necessarily mean that the person isn't guilty, which is why some people refuse it. But the conviction is still wiped out, with no penalties. Amnesty, in this case, would be better. The government would overlook the offense. Sometimes, amnesty is given because conditions that have made the act criminal may have changed or no longer exist." (1)

Carter mulled that over. "It's confusing."

"I know, but trust me. This is worth a shot, and I think the Colonel would want us to go for it." Villeman waited for Carter to offer an opinion. The Sergeant knew the Colonel better than he did.

"If we had known all along what was happening, the act couldn't have been criminal, could it?"

"That's what we're going for, Carter."

At this point, Carter was willing to grasp at any straw. "I think we should go for it, Captain."

***********

Hogan had not seen this side of Carter in months. He was talking non-stop, showing an enthusiasm that had vanished with the last truck that had rolled out of the Stalag. Was he trying to just raise his hopes, or did this last minute effort to get him released and absolve him of guilt actually have a possibility of working? Hogan was trying to be optimistic, but the wait was killing him. He knew Eisenhower had prior knowledge of the operation, but why would the General care one iota about one measly Colonel? He had a new president to deal with, and with the war finally drawing to a close; the aftermath and the occupation.

Captain Villeman was able to get a delay in the sentencing hearing pending the outcome of his request. After months of working on Hogan's case, he too was now playing the waiting game.

Newkirk and Kinch were still in London tracking the returning POW's. Although a large majority had managed to get to safety shortly after the evacuation, men were still checking in. The numbers had grown steadily and they were optimistic that most would return. Many of those who were debriefed in England discovered their Colonel's fate and were justifiably outraged. Threats of letters to Senators and Congressman were quickly squelched, however, as the operation was still classified. LeBeau, upon hearing about the latest turn of events, showed up back in England towards the end of April to show his support. "I had to be here for the hearing anyway," he told the Colonel.

It was near the end of the first week in May that Captain Villeman was called in to meet with his superior officer. The General who had initially charged Hogan was also in attendance.

Captain Villeman tracked down Carter and LeBeau and headed over to Hogan's cell. An MP unlocked the door and left it open.

Carter was in tears. Hogan stood, barely breathing. "Carter?"

"You're free to go, Sir. It's over."

"Colonel, you're free. President Truman has granted full amnesty." Villeman wondered if the Colonel understood. "You will keep your rank."

"And back pay," Carter added.

"And back pay?" Hogan asked.

One of the overly polite MPs broke in. "Sir, you can leave now."

LeBeau began to move into the cell. "Do you want me to get your things, Colonel?"

"What? Yeah, thanks." Hogan's brain began to function. "We need to let Kinch and Newkirk know."

"Right away, Sir." Carter had moved into the cell with LeBeau and was quickly packing up the Colonel's personal items.

"Captain? Thanks." Hogan held out his hand.

"You're welcome, Colonel." Villeman saluted. "As soon as we get through some paperwork, Colonel, we start the process of getting you back to the states."

Hogan, Kinch and Carter were waiting for berths on a troop ship leaving in a week. With some time to kill, Hogan made a trip into the British countryside to see an old acquaintance.

Colonel Klink could not believe his eyes. "Colonel Hogan, you're free?"

"The charges were dropped, Colonel. I'm heading home at the end of the week."

"I'm glad."

"Are they treating you all right?" Hogan asked.

"No worse than I treated you."

Hogan smiled. "I wanted to thank you."

"For what, Colonel?"

"Your offer to testify, your help back at the camp. I'm sorry about the chloroform, by the way."

"You fooled me, Colonel." Klink had to keep stopping himself from calling him Hogan. The old habit was hard to break. He was now the subordinate.

"Did I really? For two and a half years?" Hogan laughed. "Come on, Colonel."

"No, Colonel." Klink smiled. "You are correct. You couldn't have fooled me for all that time."

Hogan got up to leave.

Klink stopped him. "Colonel Hogan, wait. There's something I have to say…I'm ashamed."

"Ashamed?" Hogan asked.

"Of my country, of my people. I don't know how or if we will ever be forgiven for what we did."

Hogan had no answer. He could not honestly tell Klink that it wasn't his fault. After all, it was people like him that allowed Hitler to gain power, people who turned their backs and let the cancer spread, but Klink, in the end, had tried to do the right thing.

"Look Colonel, in the end you acted like a human being. That counts. You could have done more to help the SS and you didn't. You helped save innocent lives." Hogan turned towards the door.

Klink was touched. "Thank you, Sir." He offered a salute.

"You're welcome, Colonel."

Hogan, Carter and Kinch left later that week for home. The story of the rescue, sacrifice and bravery of the prisoners of Stalag 13 came out years later. Although most of the key participants were then gone, enough prisoners were still alive to verify the incident, as were the children and grandchildren of other prisoners, Hogan and his staff. The prisoners and Underground units that assisted them were later honored as Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem in Israel. (2)

* * *

(1) definitionsdotuslegaldotcom

(2) Yad Vashem is located in Jerusalem and is Israel's official Holocaust memorial. The Righteous among Nations honors non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. To see the criteria, check their website, but I would have classified what occurred during this story as fitting the criteria.

.A/N I'd like to thank Bits and Pieces for her Beta!

**UPDATED INFORMATION: March 2010:**

I discovered this information while conducting more research several months after posting this story. According to Mitchell Bard, PHD, the author of Forgotten Victims: The Abandonment of Americans in Hitler's Camps, "a group of American Jewish soldiers… were segregated at a POW camp and transported to a concentration camp that had the highest fatality rate of any camp where Americans were held. The story is shocking because few people know that Americans were in concentration camps, because the U.S. government treated the survivors badly and failed to adequately punish their tormentors, and because the image of those captured is completely different from the heroic portrayal of POWs today."

The POW camp was Stalag-IX B, one of the worst camps in the system, and the soldiers were deported to the concentration camp, Berga and used as slave labourers. When notice came of a needed work detail, the Kommandant ordered all Jewish prisoners to step forward. Word was given not to move. Some non-Jewish prisoners informed the Jewish prisoners that they would stand with them. A threat was given that any Jewish prisoners remaining in the barracks would be shot, as well as anyone protecting them. Some Jewish prisoners still had their tags. A few had disposed of the tags when captured. Some disposed of them after the segregation order. Eventually the quota of 350 was removed from the camp. This group of men included, all Jews, all the men that the Germans thought were Jewish, random prisoners, "troublemakers," some officers and NCO's. Fewer than 300 men survived. PBS aired a documentary on this incident, titled: "Berga: Soldiers of Another War"

Needless to say, I was floored when I discovered this AFTER I wrote this story. It caused chills. In the months since, I have found more research and memoirs on the internet. Some Jewish POW's were fine. Most from the Western Allies were; but there was always the underlying terror during their captivity that they would be singled out. As more and more veterans and witnesses pass away, It is important to continue to teach, so that we will remember …

**My original notes:**

Jewish Prisoners of War: There is a lack of information on the internet regarding this subject, particularly in regards to prisoners from America and the British Empire. Those captured from Russia and other countries not party to the Geneva convention had almost no chance of survival. Recollections available on the internet back up the enforcement of segregration policies as well as some removal to labor camps. I eventually gave up on that angle of research and wrote the story, otherwise, it would have taken me months. If anyone has any information, please post it to the forum. Any questions, send me a pm and I'll be happy to answer them for you.

Pardon vs. Amnesty

"A pardon is defined in criminal law as an official act of forgiving a crime. A pardon may be granted under the executive powers of a governor or the President. By granting a convicted person a pardon, the conviction is eradicated from the records, the person is freed from further punishments and penalties, and may not be retried for the same offense.

A pardon may be granted to persons for such reasons as advanced age, acts proving rehabilitation, unfairness of trial proceedings, doubts about guilt of the convicted person, or terminal illness. It is usually based upon a notion of undeserved punishment. A pardon does not indicate that the person pardoned is not guilty, but that they are forgiven and no longer deserving of punishment."

"Amnesty refers to a blanket overlooking of an offense by the government, with the legal result that those charged or convicted have the charge or conviction wiped out. Amnesty is usually granted because the war or other conditions that made the acts criminal no longer exist or have faded in importance…. Amnesty differs from a pardon because amnesty is the abolition and forgetfulness of the offence, whereas a pardon is forgiveness. A pardon is always given to an individual who has been convicted, amnesty may be granted to a group or class of people who may or may not have been convicted of an offense." source: see footnote (1)

_Articles of War_

_The American Articles of War predate the constitution and the Declaration of Independence. It was based off of 1774 The British Articles of War. There were over 2 million court martials conducted during War World Two. Protections normally seen in the civilian court system, did not apply. Many organizations were outraged at the abuse of the military court system and efforts were made to rewrite the code. Congressional hearings were held and in 1950, Congress enacted the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Changes and improvements to the code have been made since then._

_Only one American soldier, Private Eddie Slovik, was executed for desertion in WW2._


End file.
